


I Told You Not To Fall In Love With Me

by CannedTins



Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991)
Genre: M/M, Partner Betrayal, Tumblr Prompt, darkwarrior timeline, darkwing uses a gun for real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 03:20:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18984190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CannedTins/pseuds/CannedTins
Summary: Prompt is the title. Requested by an anonymous user on Tumblr.___________________________Even when Gosalyn had disappeared from the ratcatcher, as if she had run away, abandoned her father, Launchpad stayed with Darkwing.Even when Darkwing had fallen into a deep depression shortly afterwards, barely speaking aside from the short muttering now and then about Gosalyn, Launchpad stayed with him.





	I Told You Not To Fall In Love With Me

"i told you not to fall in love with me" 

 

Even when Gosalyn had disappeared from the ratcatcher, as if she had run away, abandoned her father, Launchpad stayed with Darkwing.

 

Even when Darkwing had fallen into a deep depression shortly afterwards, barely speaking aside from the short muttering now and then about Gosalyn, Launchpad stayed with him.   
  


He never left Darkwing’s side. He became something of a caretaker when Darkwing---or Drake Mallard refused to care for himself, stuck in his bed for days on end and not wanting to move out to get a bite to eat or shower. It was Launchpad’s duty to keep Darkwing alive ever since Gosalyn left. He loved the hero too much to see him waste away.

 

It was like this for several years, until that fateful day when  _ everything _ changed for the both of them, that day when Darkwing once again found his calling, his will to live rekindled---his eyes suddenly brighter than they had ever been, his posture straight and himself more confident than ever. It was as if the catatonic and unimaginably depressed Drake Mallard had never existed in the first place. 

 

After he had picked himself up, Darkwing seemed to have a change of heart as well; he wanted to make sure St. Canard was totally safe, he wanted to make reparations for what he failed to do so long ago---to keep Gosalyn safe. That was all very usual for Darkwing, but the way he proceeded with these actions, it scared Launchpad a little. He initially shrugged it off, after all, this was Darkwing Duck, he’d  _ never _ go too far...right?

 

St. Canard was becoming bleaker each month Darkwing set up new rules and propositions, even attempting to overtake the mayor via violent means. That was nearly the last straw for Launchpad. But love persisted. He stayed.

 

“Don’t fall in love with me,” He’d hear Darkwing mutter sometimes, whether directed at Launchpad or Gosalyn or whoever else, he’d say it in a grumbling tone. He almost sounded like Negaduck.

 

He just pushed it aside, put it in the back of his head for most of the coming years. He still worried about Darkwing, maybe even more than ever since Gosalyn disappeared. He simply didn’t  _ act _ like the Darkwing Duck Launchpad had fallen in love with. If anything, he thought he was acting more like Negaduck. An overly self-righteous Negaduck hell-bent on serving justice in the most brutal ways possible. 

 

Yet Launchpad stayed.

 

He stayed and stayed until one night when everything seemed to go wrong. At the very least, it started relatively normal. Darkwing Duck with Launchpad piloting the thunderquack, Darkwing pointing at a possible criminal, them crash-landing about a block away.

 

The criminal was just a teenage boy. He hadn’t been looking both ways before crossing the street. Darkwing had been more strict with the rules for sure, but even Launchpad felt this was a bit of a reach. He looked at Darkwing for confirmation, the other’s eyes blazing red straight ahead at the boy. He wasn’t happy.

 

“Do you want to get hit by a car?”

 

The boy shook his head. Darkwing reached for his gun---not a gas gun anymore, he’d ditched the old weapons. He needed something more  _ formidable _ .

 

“Then why didn’t you look?”

 

“I forgot,” the boy put his hands up, and Launchpad felt bad for him at that moment. 

 

He was just a boy, why, if Gosalyn were alive she would probably be his age now. And Darkwing would never do this to Gosalyn. Not the Darkwing  _ he _ knew. Darkwing had the gun in his hands, aimed directly at the boy’s head. He barked orders for him to sit down, head down. Looked like Darkwing wasn’t going to shoot him, only---

 

“Arrest him? That’s good---”

 

“Electric chair.”

 

Launchpad stammered, “w-what?”

 

“He’s headed to the electric chair. Not looking both ways before crossing, a federal offense now,” Darkwing said this all very matter-of-fact, as if he were giving somebody directions. His expression was unreadable, save for those glaring eyes.

 

“But you---” Launchpad knew better to question his partner, but for Stones’ sake, how old was this kid, 15? He was probably coming home from school!

 

“You... _ can’t _ .”

 

Darkwing looked up, his eyes flashing red once again. Launchpad flinched.

 

“I told you not to question my orders. I told you to follow along with everything I say.”

 

“But...electric chair?!”

Darkwing scoffed, “Better electrocution than getting hit by a car. Don’t worry, I won’t make it too severe. But I  _ will _ make sure he learns a lesson.”

 

Launchpad’s fears had been confirmed---Darkwing  _ wasn’t _ himself, all the ugly brutality of Negaduck’s actions swam through his head as he connected the pieces. He wanted to believe it  _ was  _ Negaduck. It wasn’t. It was Darkwing Duck,  _ his _ Darkwing. The man he’d tried so hard to keep alive when he’d been so depressed. 

 

“You couldn’t just arrest him first?” Launchpad cleared his throat as he asked, bracing for whatever venom Darkwing was about to spit at him next.

 

“Why are you questioning me? We’ve worked together for years, haven’t we? Why are you suddenly going soft  _ now _ ?”

 

Launchpad said nothing.

 

Darkwing pulled out his gun again and loaded it, “If you think a bullet to the brain would be more merciful, just say so.”

 

“No!”

 

Launchpad had enough. He was big enough to pick up Darkwing like a baby, but the shorter duck was adorned with spikes and claws and sharp teeth that he’d rather not risk wounding himself over. He stood up very tall instead, trying to look as intimidating as possible. 

It didn’t work.

 

“You’re not going to shoot him! You’re not going to electrocute him, either! I’ve put up with what you’ve been doing for too long! I love you, but you’re just...not Darkwing anymore. You’re too hard on everybody nowadays. You’re obsessive! And it’s all because of Gosalyn,” he paused for a breath, “You’re...you’re  _ Darkwarrior Duck _ .”

 

Darkwing’s face fell as he heard that name,  _ Gosalyn _ . All those years ago, he was unable to keep her safe. And now she disappeared, possibly even died. It was that mention of her that made him hesitate. He looked down at his gun regretfully.

 

He thought about what he’d become.

 

“Do you understand now, DW?”

 

The gun fell to the pavement just next to the boy, who’d passed out from fear already. 

 

“I told you.”

 

Launchpad blinked, “what?”

 

“I told you not to fall in love with me.”

 

_ Those words _ . They’d come back to him in an instant, bitter irony clawing at his thoughts, Launchpad regretting himself for not having asked what Darkwing had meant back then. He’d hoped those words weren’t directed at  _ him _ .

 

“You...what?”

 

“Leave,” Darkwing hissed.

 

Launchpad backed away a little, not quite processing everything at the moment.

 

“I told you not to fall in love with me,” Darkwing repeated, “I told you before. Now leave.”

 

Launchpad finally registered what he meant. But it was impossible. Impossible to  _ not _ love Darkwing Duck. Impossible to not love Drake Mallard. Somebody he’d cherished so much. A nagging thought inside his head said otherwise, that maybe Darkwing was right. He should not have fallen in love.

 

But he couldn’t tear his heart away from Darkwing.

 

There was a sharp  _ bang _ that startled Launchpad out of his confusion, he looked to Darkwing holding his gun again, with those hateful red eyes. It  _ wasn’t  _ Darkwing.

 

WIth that, Launchpad hesitantly made his leave, looking back at Darkwing once more, not saying anything. He was too defeated, too overwhelmed by emotions to say anything more. And too afraid. Afraid of Darkwing Duck. He’d sadly make his way back to Audubon Bay Bridge, but not at Darkwing Tower. He wouldn’t be allowed there anymore.

 

Rain poured down the street as Darkwing watched his old friend leave. His  _ friend _ ? No. He had gone too soft. Protested when he was forbidden to. It was a miracle he didn’t just shoot him right then and there. That was when he realized.

 

Whoever stood in place, holding the gun and standing over the pinned-down teenager, wasn’t Darkwing Duck anymore. 

 

It was Darkwarrior Duck.


End file.
